


And Tell Me Everything Is Gonna Be Alright

by NeverAndAlways



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Baby Names, Epilogue, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Gen, M/M, Mpreg, Parenthood, Post Mpreg, Rodney McKay/John Sheppard Married, Short & Sweet, Team as Family, but here we are, didn't intend to write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 05:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/NeverAndAlways
Summary: You guys have been so sweet with all the awesome comments on 'I Love You, I Know' that I had to write you a little extra thing as a thank-you. Enjoy :)





	And Tell Me Everything Is Gonna Be Alright

Rodney stirs. He's been drifting in and out of sleep for hours, and would happily continue to do so, but he's getting sore. He needs to move a little. Reluctantly, he opens his eyes and props himself up on his elbow. Then (again, reluctantly) he log-rolls himself over onto his back. His whole body feels like heavy jell-o. Painful, heavy jell-o. He groans.

"'Morning."

He startles; it's John. His husband is lying on the cot he got out of storage last night (Rodney's been anemic since giving birth, apparently, so Carson is keeping him for observation). Holly is lying next to him in her swaddling blankets, and it looks like they've both been dozing. Rodney rubs his eyes with the hand that doesn't have an IV in it.

"What time is it?"

John checks his watch. "Almost 3:00." he looks back at Rodney. "How're you feeling?"

"Exhausted. Sore. Like I gave birth 36 hours ago." Rodney pulls his blankets up to his chest and eyes his IV line with distaste. "How's the kiddo?"

"Still awesome." John smiles. Rodney gets the feeling that if he could, his husband would announce her arrival from the tallest spire in Atlantis. John tucks the baby up into his arms, stands, and walks her over to the hospital bed, all without taking his eyes off her. He almost seems reluctant to hand her over.

"Hey, I know you," Rodney cuddles her close and adjusts her little knit hat. The infirmary isn't really equipped to care for a newborn, but they've made do. Holly squirms and cracks open one eye. Rodney smiles; he can see John in his peripheral vision, and knows that he's smiling too. He traces his thumb along her cheek, learning the shape of it. She squirms again and lets out a tiny squawk of protest. Rodney mutters an apology, but it's too late: the squawk turns into an angry yowl. Whoops. He bounces her frantically. "Stop laughing, John, I can hear you."

"Who's laughing? I'm not," John snickers, but not unkindly.

"Everything alright in here?"

Carson sweeps into the room. He looks a little concerned, but then again he often does.

"I didn't even _do_ anything!" Rodney continues to bounce Holly in his arms. She ramps down her crying just slightly.

"There isn't always a clear reason," says Carson, checking the IV and blood bag and looking at the monitors. "But birth is just as hard on the baby as it is on the parent. She'll likely be fussy for a few days."

As if on cue, Holly's crying dwindles back into silence. Rodney breathes a sigh of relief and quietly thanks her. John takes a seat in the folding chair that's still set up next to the bed. Carson puts his hands in his pockets and looks at them both. First he raises his eyebrows and nods to John in a silent ' _you okay?' ._ John gives him a thumbs-up. Then Carson turns to his patient.

"How are you feeling, Rodney? Any better?"

Rodney drags his attention away from the baby. "Still kind of weak."

"Chest pain, dizziness, headache?"

"No."

"Good. One more question: d'you think you're well enough for visitors? 'Cause I know some friends of yours who would very much like to see you." he gives Rodney a smile.

Rodney hesitates. "I mean...I guess, but who...?" he trails off. A movement behind Carson catches his eye; there's a familiar face peering through the doorway. He arches his eyebrows. "Teyla. Hi."

She grins. "May we come in?"

"You're already here, you might as well." Rodney smirks. Teyla nods and steps into the room, and is shortly followed by Ronon, Zelenka -- and Dr. Weir. Rodney finds himself sitting up a little straighter. "Elizabeth. I, uh -- I didn't know you'd be--"

Elizabeth gently waves him into silence. "Relax, Rodney, I'm just here as a friend. I wanted to congratulate you both."

"...Oh. Uh, thank you."

John stands up to greet their visitors and is immediately ambushed by a grinning Ronon, who quite literally lifts him up and spins him around. He looks a little stunned when he's released. Ronon then claps Rodney on the shoulder and rumbles his congratulations before sitting down on an adjacent bed. Happy Ronon can be just as hazardous as Ronon in a bad mood. Like a giant puppy.

Zelenka comes up next. He gives them a wider berth and looks much more subdued about the whole thing. He's not overly fond of children. But he shakes hands with John and Rodney all the same, and says a polite " _Blahopřeji"_ to them both. And then immediately mutters something about an experiment left running and disappears. Oh well.

Then comes Teyla. She's beaming, but she approaches the new family slowly. The first thing she does is lean down to Rodney and bring their foreheads together; normally Rodney would find this awkward, but now he seems to understand the significance of it. It's a gesture Teyla reserves for a very special few. She repeats the gesture with John, then takes a seat at the foot of the bed. John nods to Ronon and Dr. Weir.

"So did you tell everyone in the city?" he teases.

"Actually, I told very few. But word spreads quickly."

"Which reminds me," says Dr. Weir, leaning on the doorframe, "Lieutenant Cadman sends her best wishes as well."

Rodney sinks into the pillows, looking vaguely uncomfortable. Over two years since that...incident, and she still has that effect on him. He turns his attention back to Holly, who's awake and studying his face. The resulting silence starts to feel expectant.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" Teyla asks in an undertone.

"It's a girl." John beats Rodney to the answer. "Holly McKay-Sheppard."

"Holly..." Teyla echoes the name. She tilts her head to study the baby's face. "Welcome to Atlantis, Holly. You are a very special child."

"Special? What do you mean?" Rodney frowns.

Teyla keeps her gaze on the baby. "It has been a long time since Atlantis was truly a living city. Your daughter is the first baby born here in over 10,000 years."

They lapse into thoughtful silence for a minute or two.

"That never even occurred to me," muses John. "I wonder if she got the Ancient gene as well."

"In a way, she shares her title with another child here; Halling's son, Jinto. He is another first." John and Rodney just frown at this, so Teyla continues. "Jinto was the first baby born to my village after we relocated."

Rodney makes a considering noise. Holly makes little restless noises. "Huh. So is Halling...?"

"Yes. And carriers are rare among my people, which made it all the more significant. He lost his husband to a culling, like so many others, just before the relocation; Jinto was born a few months later." she looks introspective for a moment, before returning to a smile. "Your daughter may well be a good omen for all of you."

"Wow. Those are some big shoes to fill, huh?" John says to the baby. She gurgles; he nods sagely. "I agree." Rodney snorts his amusement.

"She's our kid, I think she can handle it." he draws his finger along her cheek again; this time, she mouths blindly at it, then squawks in complaint when she can't find it. Rodney sighs. "Alright, I hear you..." he holds the baby out to John and starts to fuss with the ties on his hospital gown -- and then remembers that Teyla, Ronon, and Elizabeth are there. He hesitates. "Sorry, could you, uh...?" he nods to the door. Teyla nods and takes her leave with one last _congratulations;_ the others follow suit, leaving the new family in peace.

 

As they walk down the pier away from the infirmary, Ronon's expression turns thoughtful. "Never thought Sheppard and McKay would have a baby," he says to no one in particular. "'Specially not McKay. I thought he hated kids. Can't imagine them raising one." Elizabeth arches an eyebrow but says nothing; as the commanding officer, she has to be impartial. Teyla, on the other hand, smiles to herself as she walks. Ronon notices and gently thwacks her on the arm. "What?"

Teyla weighs her words carefully. When she finally answers, she sounds absolutely certain. "I think you don't give them enough credit. Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay are good men, and they will be excellent parents." she remembers John, beaming with his daughter in his arms, and smiles wider. "They will be fine."

 

^^^^

**Author's Note:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
